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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. D. WRITING.

SLED.

Patented Feb. 16

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ATTOR Y (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. D. ,WHITING.

SLED. No; 336.274. Patented Feb. 16, 1886.

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NITE STATES ATENT Fries.

LENVIS D. \VHITING, OF SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONF- HALF TO EDSON L. FROST, OF SAME PLACE.

SLED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,274, dated February 16, 1886.

Application filed August 4, 1885. Serial No. 173,521.

To aZZ'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, L. D. vVHrTING, residing at Southington, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleds; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in steering and brake attachments for coastingsleds, the object being to provide attachments of such description which shall be simple to construct, easy to operate in controlling the sled, reliable, effective, and durable in use, and located so as to be protected from injury and prevented from doing injury.

With these ends in View my invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sled embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the forward part of the same.

G denotes the round or cross-bar between the forward ends of the runners, and on said round are pivoted within the runners two independent heads, A, each having an upper arm, E, and a lower arm, C, and two lugs or projections, B and D.

To the lugs B are attached the upper ends of the brakes or steering-arms F, the lower ends of the latter being held in place and loosely confined to the runners or insides of the sled by frames or loops J. Short cords K serve as flexible connections between the central portions of the arms F and the lower arms, C,of the heads A. The lower ends of the arms F are connected by cords a with a spring or springs, b, attached to the under side of the seat P.

H denotes a rope or cord by which the sled may be drawn, and by which the brakes or steering-arms F may be operated by the per- 45 son riding the sled. Said cord is attached at its ends to the lower lugs, D, of the pivoted heads A, and when the arms F are to be operated by the cord it is passed up over the upper arms, E, the latter being preferably 50 slotted or recessed, as shown, to receive the cord.

(No model.)

The brakes or steering-arms F may be provided 'with small slots L at their upper ends, through which the pins or screws M, by which the said arms F are attached to the lugs B of the heads A, pass. This construction will permit the heads A to turn slightly on the round G without moving the said arms. Thus when the cord H is in the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, as it will be when the sled is being drawn forward by the said cord, the said heads can turn slightly after the arms F have been cleared from theground without lifting the said arms unnecessarily high. The spring I), to which the lower ends of the arms F are connected, serves to hold said arms normally slightly abovethe bottoms of the runners, and to lift them automatically after they have been depressed. The round or cross-bar G is preferably supported by brackets B, removably attached to the inner faces of the runners or sides of the sled, thereby permitting the said round or cross-bar to be removed and replaced if broken, or for any other purpose, without springing the sides of the sled apart.

In controlling a sled provided with the steering and brake attachments herein described the cord is engaged with the slotted arms Eof the heads, and the occupant of the sled, who may assume any position upon it, as upon any ordinary sled, pulls the rope toward him, so as to turn either of the heads and thus depress the steering-arm connected with it as desired and to a greater or less degree. By slacking 8 5 the rope,and thus relieving the pressure upon the arm depressed,the same is at once elevated by the spring connected with its rear end.

For drawing the sled,the rope is disengaged from the slotted arms and the weight of the 9 sled thrown upon the lugs of the heads, the said lugs being arranged so that in drawing the sled the heads are not turned,whereby the steering-arms are not disturbed.

In operating the arms to brake the sled the rope is pulled back so as to turn the heads together and alike, so as to effect a simultaneous depression of the arms.

By locating the steering and brake attachments as shown and described they in no ICO wise interfere with the same use of the sled as if it were without them, and permit the occupant to take any position upon it. They are also protected from injury and prevented from doing injury in case of accident.

Iam aware that sled brakes or steering-arms have heretofore been pivoted to the outer sides of the sled in such a manner as to be independently operated by the cord or rope by which the sled is drawn, and I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as claiming independently-operated sled brakes or steeringarms, broadly.

I am also aware that springs have hereto fore been used for automatically lifting sledsteering devices depressed by levers placed within the runners of the sled, and I do not, therefore, claim the same, broadly.

Having fully described my invention, whatl claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is v 1. The combinatiomwitl'l the front round or cross-bar of a sled, of two independent heads pivoted thereon inside of the runners, two brakes or steering-arms attached at their upper ends to said heads and connected with the lower arms of the latter, a cord or rope for 2. A sled having two independent heads fulcrumed upon its round, and provided with depending arms, lugs, and slotted arms, as shown and described, two inclined steeringarms respectively having flexible connection with the depending arms and lugs of the heads, and arranged to be depressed when the heads are turned toward the sled, a rope connected with the lugs of the heads and engaged with the slotted arms thereof, for turning the heads, as described, and spring-connection with the arms for normally supporting them and lift- LEWIS n. WHITING.

\Vitnesses:

EosoN L. FROST, E. I. NOTTINGHAM. 

